About OFN Practitioner Summits

OFN's Practitioner Summits are one-day convenings designed to bring together CDFI professionals with similar job functions and interests to explore key challenges, share leading practices, and collaborate on solutions. These summits provide a dedicated space for peer learning, hands-on workshops, and expert-led discussions tailored to the unique needs of industry practitioners. By fostering connections and equipping attendees with actionable insights, Practitioner Summits aim to strengthen individual expertise, build community, and advance the collective impact of CDFIs.

The second annual Marketing & Comms CDFI Practitioner Summit will focus on the increasingly strategic role marketing and communications teams play as CDFIs navigate complexity, scrutiny, and change. Throughout the day, practitioners will explore how to communicate nuance with clarity, maintain credibility and trust across diverse audiences, and make intentional choices about storytelling in an environment shaped by economic uncertainty, policy shifts, and evolving expectations.

Through a mix of panel conversations, hands-on workshops, lightning talks, and peer-driven problem-solving, sessions will examine how marketing and communications teams are prioritizing stories, aligning internally, and adapting messaging as conditions shift. Participants will engage with real-world examples and frameworks for making smart storytelling decisions, learn from peers about what tactics they’ve stopped using and why, and collaborate on solutions to shared challenges such as crisis communications, narrative discipline, AI tools and guardrails, impact metrics, and internal communications.

The summit is designed for CDFI practitioners involved in marketing and communications at their organization, those looking to build their skills in this area, and anyone interested in learning more about these topics from the perspective of marketing and communications professionals.

Join us on Tuesday, March 31, for a full day of peer learning, collaboration, and community building at Convene's Observation Hub in Arlington, VA, overlooking D.C. - just minutes from DCA airport and public transportation!

Interested in deepening your learning? Stay an extra day and attend our Capitalization Crash Course on April 1! Details below.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Registration will close on Tuesday, March 24 at 11:59pm ET. 
• This event will only be offered in-person.
• Breakfast, lunch, coffee, beverages, and snacks will be provided. 
• Cost: $250 OFN Members; $350 General/Non-Members
• Registration is non-refundable; however, you may transfer your registration to another individual at your organization at any point in time for an administrative fee. Please view the full policy on the "Fees" page for details.

Location

Convene

1201 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington VA, 22209

Observation Hub, 29th Floor

Know Before You Go

Public Transit

Attendees can easily reach the venue via the nearby Rosslyn Metro Station, just a 3-4 minute walk away. The station is served by the Silver, Blue, and Orange lines.

Upon exiting the metro at Moore Street, head south towards Wilson Blvd. The venue's main entrance will be on your left, just past Compass Coffee.

Parking

Parking is conveniently available in the nearby garage located at: 1800 N. Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209. Attendees can also visit this parking locator to check real-time availability for other lots located in the 22209 zip code.

Entrance

The building entrance is located between North Lynn Street and North Moore Street on Wilson Boulevard. Upon entering the building, attendees should check in at the front desk and will be shown to the elevators. The summit will be held in the Observation Hub on the 29th Floor.

Deepen Your Learning With OFN Training Opportunities

Stay an extra day and attend our full-day Capitalization Crash Course on April 1!

Capitalization is at the heart of every CDFI loan fund —but understanding how capital flows through your organization, and how to structure it effectively, isn’t always straightforward. This foundational training combines OFN’s Capitalization 101 and 201 content into a one-day crash course designed to build your knowledge and confidence in core capitalization concepts. 

Starting with the fundamentals, you'll learn about different types of capital, their characteristics, and the role each plays in a CDFI’s capital stack. Building on those basics, the workshop then dives deeper into how capitalization supports CDFI operations, financing, and growth.

Registration Fee: $385 for OFN Members; $600 for General/Non-Members.

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